Honduras: 8 fatal cases due to undiagnosed neurological illness

[Emily]

Re: Honduras: 8 fatal cases due to undiagnosed neurological illness

The respiratory distress might be a later symptom. One report I read translated to describing an 'itching' in the feet as being the first symptom, which is a symptom associated with heavy metal poisoning. Other reports translate to pain in the feet, but again the discrepancies could be reflecting a progression of symptoms.

I read a description of some concerning gold mining done by adventure tourists up the Paulaya River that feeds into the ocean at Plaplaya involving dredging, digging and land clearing.

[alert]

Re: Honduras: 8 cases, 5 deaths, due to undiagnosed neurological illness

It is unclear the location and direction of paralysis. The original reports described an ascending AFP, something that is consistent with Guillain-Barre syndrome (or something that mimics it). This latest report seems to describe a somewhat different picture, with respiratory paralysis a predominant feature.

Botulism might be suspected if the paralysis is not an ascending one.

[Emily]

Re: Honduras: 8 cases, 5 deaths, due to undiagnosed neurological illness

All 8 children have now died according to this article. This is an enormous tragedy for this small community.

http://www.radiohrn.hn/l/portada/tox...a-la-mosquitia
Google translation:

Unknown lethal toxin have killed 8 children in Plaplaya, Mosquitia
Submitted by Marja Perez on June 22, 2013 - 6:04 pm

Agriculture urgent help because they suspect pesticide or toxin linked to natural food, plant or animal
Dr. Luther Castillo, a member of the Supervisory Commission of Health reported that eight adolescents between 9 and 14 years were killed allegedly by a lethal toxin in Plaplaya community in the department of Gracias a Dios.
In the explanations of the specialist, fatalities agree neurological symptomatology including respiratory depression, localized pain in the upper and lower extremities and warned that the evolution of the disease lasts only six days.
In the remote Mosquitia area, already installed a team of toxicologists and epidemiologists from the Health Ministry seeking to identify how many people have the same symptoms and what stage of involvement are found to prevent more deaths, according to the commissioner.
However, he requested urgent assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Environment, because after technical screening, they suspect that the toxin is linked to a pesticide or natural food, plant or animal.
Amid the lush natural beauty of Plaplaya, low air shipping and limited emergency care for patients with this deadly disease and family members should try to arrive at a hospital with intensive care equipment, which in this case, the closest would be the Mario Catarino Rivas in the city of San Pedro Sula.
Internationally there identified many toxins that act on the central nervous system paralysis or contracture determining and in some cases death.

[Emily]

Re: Honduras: 8 cases, 5 deaths, due to undiagnosed neurological illness

http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/inte...cados-honduras

Google transalation:

June 23, 2013 | 18:10:15

Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Five children die intoxicated in Honduras

I deaths of children, aged between 7 and 14 years occurred in the last five days in Plaplaya "he told journalists Dr. Luther Castillo, spokesman for the Ministry of Health
By elnuevodiario.com.ni | Globe

Five children were killed and three more are severe due to possible contamination by pesticides in the province of Gracias a Dios, northeastern Honduras, authorities said Sunday sector.
"The deaths of the children, aged between 7 and 14 years occurred in the last five days in Plaplaya" he told journalists Dr. Luther Castillo, spokesman for the Ministry of Health.
Plaplaya is a community of Gracias a Dios, about 600 kilometers northeast of Tegucigalpa, on the border with Nicaragua.
"The children had paralysis in his lower extremities, severe pain and then I fell into a respiratory arrest that killed them, which could have been caused by food contaminated with insecticides," said the doctor.
Castillo said the Secretariat sent a group of experts to investigate the case, while the Minister of Agriculture, Jacobo Regalado, said some toxicologists from that office will join the group.

[alert]

Re: Honduras: 8 cases, 5 deaths, due to undiagnosed neurological illness

Sounds a lot like the outbreaks that were never completely explained in Mexico and the Southwestern United States a couple years ago:

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=156348

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=169725

[alert]

Re: Honduras: 8 cases, 5 deaths, due to undiagnosed neurological illness

The previous report:

http://www.promedmail.org/direct.php?id=20130624.329698

Published Date: 23/06/2013 23:11:20
Subject: PRO / AH> disease of unknown cause - Honduras (MOS): deaths, probable neurotoxin
Archive Number: 20130624.329698

DISEASE CAUSE UNKNOWN - HONDURAS (MOS): DEATHS, PROBABLE NEUROTOXIN
************************************************** ****
A ProMED-mail

http://www.promedmail.org

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases

http://www.isid.org

Date: June 23, 2013
Source: El Nuevo Dia, Puerto Rico

[Edited by Jaime Torres]


Health officials are investigating the death of Honduras at least
five children in the region of La Mosquitia, on the Caribbean, which have
died of a strange disease that may have
contracted by a neurotoxin, official sources said today in
Tegucigalpa.

One member of the commission set that directs
temporarily Health Ministry, Luther Castillo, told
reporters that besides the five children who had died, three other
with the same symptoms, in serious condition, for about eight
days.

He said the cases have been registered in the community of Plaplaya,
department of Gracias a Dios, bordering Nicaragua.

According to Castillo, the disease begins to manifest itself with a small
pain in the soles of the feet, followed by paralysis of the
lower extremities up to the hip with severe pain.
The patient also suffers from chills, loss of muscle strength,
headache, hypertension and difficulty speaking due to a
numbness around the mouth.

The situation is complicated because patients living in a region
remote as the Mosquito, which can only be accessed
by air or sea.

The medical staff has been sent to the area has only been able
discover that patients have the same feature, so
to conclude that the disease would be caused by a
neurotoxin.

The official said a committee is considering creating
agency to investigate whether some foods that have
patients consumed contaminated with insecticides or other
chemical elements.

The age of the five children who died ranged between seven and
fourteen, according to the official report.

Authorities recommend the removal of the other three patients the
Mario Catarino Rivas Hospital, San Pedro Sula (north), the second
largest city in Honduras, for better diagnosis
their cases.


Communicated by: Jaime R. Torres <torresjaime@cantv.net>


- ProMED-ESP

[alert]

AFP? Guillain-Barre? Polio is unlikely as the disease has been eliminated from the Western Hemisphere.

http://www.promedmail.org/direct.php?id=20130629.334377

Published Date: 29/06/2013 18:43:03
Subject: PRO / AH> Enf. of unknown cause - Honduras (MOS) (02): Kill, probable neurotoxin
Archive Number: 20130629.334377

ENF. CAUSE UNKNOWN - HONDURAS (MOS) (02): DEATHS, PROBABLE NEUROTOXIN
************************************************** ****
A ProMED-mail

http://www.promedmail.org

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases

http://www.isid.org

Date: June 29, 2013
Source: The Americas News

[Edited by Jaime Torres]

Honduras authorities established today in health fence
La Mosquitia region in the Caribbean country after the death of five
children because of a strange disease, an official said.

? Epidemiological fence was established in the community where they were
those cases??, said Undersecretary reporters briefly
Honduran Health, Javier Pastor.

So far the authorities have failed to identify what
cause the strange disease that has claimed the lives of five children in
Plaplaya community, department of Gracias a Dios, and that
remains in critical condition three other children, for about eight
days.

The victims have been identified as Veronica Ruiz, 14;
Anthony Zeno, 14; Cindy Martinez, 13, Gina Chavez, 14, and Anery
Martinez, 7 years old. The disease begins to manifest itself
a little pain in the soles of the feet, followed by paralysis of
the lower extremities up to the hip with pain
intense, told reporters last weekend one of the
members of the Supervisory Commission of the Ministry of Health, Luther
Castillo.

Patients also suffer from chills, loss of strength
muscle, headache, hypertension and difficulty speaking
due to numbness around the mouth. The shadow of the
saw death and took leaving mourning and consternation among his
families.

Five children living in Plaplaya community, municipality of John
Francisco Bulnes, thank God, have died and three more are
in difficult conditions due to a mysterious disease, said
Castillo. The doctor explained that this situation has been presented
for eight days. He added that the first investigations
suggest that the problem is caused by a neurotoxin.

The children who had died, according to Castillo, responded to the names of
Zeno Veronica Ruiz (14), Anthony Zeno (14), Cindy Martinez (13),
Casildo Gina Chavez Martinez (14) and Anery Casildo Martinez (7). Others
three children are in delicate condition.

He added that in the case of those who are in condition
critical, need to be taken to the intensive care unit
of a hospital, in this case, the hospital Mario Catarino
Rivas of San Pedro Sula, because they need mechanical ventilation.

The Ministry of Health has sent medical personnel to place
investigate the strange disease that children may have
contracted by a neurotoxin, Pastor said. He said also
sent some samples to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Diseases, based in Atlanta (Georgia, USA) and at least
one weeks will be receiving the results.

Castillo said that given the situation that exists in the area,
recommends the establishment of an interagency team and
multidisciplinary for further research to
establish which is the genesis of the disease and determine the
neurotoxin.


Communicated by: Jaime R. Torres <torresjaime@cantv.net>


- ProMED-ESP